Mechanical Properties and Fracture Surface Morphologies in Unnotched Specimens of Rubber-PMMA Composites

• Published in: Journal of materials engineering and performance Vol. 16; no. 5; pp. 601 - 606
• Main Authors: Gong, Shiyun, Bandyopadhyay, Sri
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer Nature B.V 01-10-2007
• Subjects: Correlation; Ductile brittle transition; Failure; Fracture toughness; Mechanical properties; Polymethyl methacrylates; Surface layer; Texture
• ISSN: 1059-9495; 1544-1024
• DOI: 10.1007/s11665-007-9042-2

Correlations between mechanical properties and microscopic features were investigated using unnotched specimens of rubber-PMMA composites in very low to medium range of cross head speeds. It is found that: (1) a trapezoid-shaped smooth region and fish scale-like texture with bands in rough region correlates with brittle failure in pure PMMA, while a quarter circle-shaped smooth region and hackle-like texture, and the presence of dimples and/or voids correlate with ductile failure in rubber-PMMA composites; (2) decrease in degree of roughness in rubber-PMMA composites can be correlated with decrease in Young's modulus; (3) decrease in size of the smooth region with increasing speed can be correlated with decrease in modulus of toughness; (4) larger smooth region in rubber-PMMA composites containing more rubber correlates with higher modulus of toughness.